Don't go to the dentist - no joke

[MoLaker]

Outlook Express 6 on XP Professional - fully updated.

Not really a question unless someone has run into something similar. I created a new message using Outlook Express which contained only text and a simple link to a website. When I tried to send it, I got the following:

An unknown error has occurred. Subject 'The dentist', Account: 'mail.hughes.net', Server: 'smtp.hughes.net', Protocol: SMTP, Server Response: '554 Message refused', Port: 25, Secure(SSL): No, Server Error: 554, Error Number: 0x800CCC6F

I tried several iterations but nothing seemed to work. So, I started deleting text line-by-line trying to determine what was going on. When I got to editing the subject line, it originally read “The dentist”. I found that if I altered the subject line in any manner, the message would go through with no error. It would even go through if I simply made the ‘d” in dentist uppercase. My computer is networked with another and both use the same mail servers. So, I tried sending the message from the other computer and it went with no errors. So, assuming the problem is within my system, I checked for any inadvertent filter that might be set in OE – no filters at all. I searched the registry for the word ‘dentist’ and found nothing.

I doubt if the word ‘dentist’ has any particular bearing, but was wondering where such a gremlin might hide. Any ideas of where to look?

 

[Beowulf005]

Error Code
0x800ccc6F

Error Type
SMTP 554 TRANSACT FAILED

Description
Transaction failed

Advice / Fix
Corrupt outbox

http://va.zensupport.co.uk/

When frustrated remember, in the computer world there is almost always a backdoor.

 

[MoLaker]

Nope. I just tried renaming outbox.dbx and let OE create a new one - same problem.

I just tried experimenting again. This time I started triming letters off the end of the word "dentist". I got down to "The d" and it still failed. I tried "the d" and it failed. On a whim, I tried "xhe d" and it went. So did "txe d" and "thx d". But, put in "the d" or "The d" and it fails. Weird, weird, weird. Uh, oh. I just tried "The x" and it fails, but "The @" passes! I'm baffled still.

 

[Beowulf005]

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/813514

When frustrated remember, in the computer world there is almost always a backdoor.

 

[JockMullin]

Hi, MoLaker

Based on the error message, it is SMTP.HUGHES.NET server which is rejecting the message, so:

Is the other machine you tested on using the same email account/return address/external IP as yours? If not then there may be a filter in effect on that server for your account, possibly due to spam problems in the past, so contact their admin.

When you ping SMTP.HUGHES.NET from both machines do you get the same IP address? (I get 64.97.131.50)? If not then poss malware.

Have you tried temporarily disabling any mail AV programs during your testing?

Jock

 

[MoLaker]

Confusion goes with the territory, I guess. I tried creating a duplicate mail account on the other machine using the account name that has the problem on my machine. I removed the original account from the send/receive action so only this new account was involved. The message failed!

You're right about it being Hughes.net server and it is only with my email account, our IP's are the same as far as Hughes is concerned. So, this is going to be fun trying to explain to customer service - especially Hughes.net's customer service - somewhere in India, Pakistan, Indonesia or wherever. This kind of thing cannot be carried in their "cookbook" of answers.

 

[MoLaker]

Update: As expected, Hughes.net placed the blame on OE. After an exhaustive search on the error, I found nothing that seemed to fit my problem. For giggles, I tried Mozilla Thunderbird email client. Lo and behold, it worked. So, Hughes claim that it was an OE problem seems correct. OE must have something in the header when "the (x)" starts the subject line that triggers Hughes smtp (or mail relay) server's anti-spam filter - that's all I can come up with.